Comfort
by Kaliya22
Summary: Forgive the crappy title, couldn't think of one for this one. E/O, summary would give too much away! Hope you enjoy :


"I know you," the teenage boy said as he slowly walked towards Olivia. Olivia spared him a quick glance before focusing her attention back on the men in front of her. "You can tell me all about it as soon as we get these jerks out of here." Her gun was pointed at a small knot of men. Her partner, Elliot, was ten feet to one side of her, and Fin was ten feet to the other side, forming a semi-circle to keep the ringleaders of this drug bust from getting away. She sensed the boy stepping closer, on her right side. She shot him a second glance. He didn't look familiar. She felt his eyes drilling into her and was glad to hear the sirens and squeal of tires as backup arrived. She lowered her gun as the uniformed officers rushed past her to cuff the bad guys and haul them away. She turned to the boy.

He was young, 13, maybe 14. His clothes were clean, but disheveled in the typical teenage way. He had sandy blond hair and piecing blue eyes. Cold eyes. She narrowed her eyes, an uneasy feeling settling about her. "Now, how do you know me?" The boy slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and turned slightly, as if to protect him better from the cold, New York wind. "You arrested my dad." "I did? When was this?" Olivia was confused. She didn't recognize the boy. "About two years ago." "What did he do?" "He didn't do anything." The cold crept down Olivia's back. She glanced at the uniformed officers, wishing they would hurry. The boy continued. "You said he raped and killed my mom." He took another step towards her. Something about him held her rooted in place. "Do you know what happened to him?" She swallowed, and shook her head. "He was sent to Sing Sing. Two weeks later, he was dead." The boy's cold façade broke and a tear fell down his cheek. "It's your fault he's dead."

The shot echoed down the street. All the uniformed cops drew their weapons. Elliot and Fin both turned towards where the shot had come from. Fin saw the boy, and the gun in his hand. He ran for him, watched the boy drop the gun. Elliot saw the gun drop to the ground and saw Fin grab the boy. Then he watched Olivia drop to her knees. "Liv!?" He sprinted to her, grabbed her before she fell over. "El," Olivia's voice was full of pain, fear. Elliot looked down. Olivia's hand was on her side. Blood poured from between her fingers. "Oh my god. No, Liv, please," he pleaded, his voice desperate. He gently lowered Olivia to the ground, partially on her side. He sensed rather than saw the uniformed cops securing the area. He heard Fin's voice behind him, calling for an ambulance, calling officer down. He yanked Olivia's shirt up, finding the bullet wound at the bottom of her ribcage. She breathed, and he saw the bubbles in the blood. Terrified, he pulled her shirt up higher in the back. He couldn't find an exit wound. Olivia's hand grabbed his arm. "El…" Her voice was weak, hardly more than a whisper. She coughed, and bright red blood trickled out of her mouth. Elliot felt his heart racing with fear. He stripped off his jacket and dress shirt. Balling the shirt up, he pressed it over her wound.

The ambulance was there moments later, along with more uniformed officers. The paramedics practically shoved Elliot out of the way. He watched in a daze as they loaded Olivia onto a stretcher and started for the ambulance. He followed after them, but they stopped him at the doors. "I'm sorry, but there's no room, you'll have to follow." He stood, waiting to wake up from the nightmare. But it was no nightmare. He felt someone drape his coat over his shoulders. Fin. "C'mon, I'll drive." He turned to follow Fin. A cold wind froze the tears on his face. _Tears? When had he cried?_ He lifted his hands to wipe them away, but stopped when he saw her blood all over his hands. _Oh, Liv, please be ok._ Fin turned to check on him, saw the blood on his hands and tossed him a handkerchief to wipe it away. He climbed into the car, still numb. Fin headed for the hospital, lights and sirens going. "She's gonna be ok Elliot." He looked out the window into the night. "Yea."

The emergency room was the normal chaos. Fin and Elliot threaded through the people, finally finding Olivia being prepped for surgery. A compassionate nurse gave Elliot one minute with her. He walked to her bedside. "Liv," he said, softly. Her eyes fluttered open. "Elliot." Her eyes closed again. A nurse spoke from nearby. "Don't make her talk, her lung is punctured." Elliot nodded, his eyes staying on Olivia's face. He leaned down, softly kissed her forehead. Resting his forehead against hers, he spoke softly, so only she could hear. "You're going to be fine Liv. I'll be there when you wake up." He stood up, running his fingers lightly down her cheek. He stepped back as the nurses wheeled her off to surgery.

Cragen and Munch joined them in the waiting area minutes later. "How is she?" asked Cragen. Elliot looked down at the floor. "They just took her to surgery," answered Fin. Cragen nodded, his eyes worried. He sat down, and Fin told him what had happened. "Has anyone talked to the boy?" Fin shook his head. "I had the uniforms take him. He'll be in a solitary cell till we talk to him." Cragen stared off into space for a moment. "Fin, John… go talk to that boy, find out why he shot Olivia." They didn't argue, but it was obvious they were reluctant to leave. "I'll call you if there's any update on Liv, now go," said Cragen. The two men left.

Cragen moved over to sit next to Elliot. "You ok?" he asked his detective. "Just peachy," Elliot replied. Cragen stared at him a moment before deciding to leave it alone.

They waited. Silence filled the room. Sometimes, Elliot paced. Sometimes, Cragen did. Three hours and forty-nine minutes later, Elliot was pacing the room when the door creaked open. The two men looked over to see a doctor peek into the room. The doctor seemed hesitant. "Family of Olivia Benson?" Cragen stood up. "The closest thing she's got." The doctor walked in, surgical mask hanging down to his chest. Elliot cleared his throat. "How is she, doc?" The doctor closed the door behind him. Elliot's heart skipped a beat.

"She'll live," said the doctor. Elliot let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "She was extremely lucky, gentlemen. The bullet cut an upward path, through her left lung, barely missing her heart before lodging in a rib. I've repaired the damage, and removed the bullet. I assumed you wanted the bullet for your investigation." Cragen nodded. "It will be brought to you shortly, and has been handled as required in a criminal shooting." "May we see her?" Elliot asked, hopeful. The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. She's sedated at the moment. She should wake in about six hours. You may see her then." He glanced at his watch. "I have to get to another patient, have the nurse page me if you need anything gentlemen." "Thanks doc," said Cragen. Elliot slid back into a chair, rubbing his face with his hands.

Cragen rested a hand on Elliot's shoulder. "Go home," he said. Elliot looked up. "I'm not going anywhere Captain." Cragen gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze and let go. "Elliot, I'll stay until you get back. Go home, get something to eat and a couple hours sleep." Elliot gave a reluctant nod and stood. "You'll call…" he began, but Cragen cut him off. "Go!"

Six hours later, Elliot was back, and at Olivia's bedside. He was looking out the window when he heard her say something. "Liv?" he said softly, walking over to her bedside. She was still asleep. He stood next to her bed, gazing down at her. He could make out her words now. She was saying his name, over and over. "Elliot…Elliot…Elliot…" His heart twisted to hear her calling out to him in her sleep. He reached down and took her hand in his. "Liv, wake up sweetheart," he said, softly squeezing her hand. Olivia's eyes fluttered open. She looked at him, eyes blinking against the glare of the hospital lights. "What… El?" she said, confused. She tried to sit up, and groaned in pain. Lying back, she closed her eyes again. "Liv, how do you feel?" Her eyes opened again. "Like hell," she said, giving him a weak smile. He returned her smile, and sat down in the chair beside her bed, still holding onto her hand.

"The boy!" exclaimed Olivia. Elliot spoke before she could ask. "Fin grabbed him, he's in custody. John and Fin went to question him after we knew you'd be ok. I haven't heard back from them yet, so no idea why he shot you." "I know why," she said, her voice quiet. "Why?" he asked, leaning forward to hear her better. "I put his father in jail for raping and killing his mother. He says his father was killed two weeks after going to Sing Sing." "Not your fault," said Elliot, noticing the tears sparkling in her eyes. "What if it is El? What if the boy was right, and his father was innocent?" Elliot leaned closer, his face just inches from hers. "You cannot tear yourself up over this, Liv." She blinked, and the tears spilled down her cheeks. Elliot wrapped his hand behind her head, gently massaging her neck. He reached up with his other hand and gently ran his thumb over her cheek. "Everything's going to be ok Liv." She closed her eyes, and gave a tiny nod.

Olivia healed quickly. The doctor released her from the hospital five days after the shooting, with orders to stay home from work for a week, and desk duty for at least a week after that, until her checkup. Elliot took her home. While she took a shower, he ran out and picked up dinner for them from the Italian restaurant down the street. Olivia was silent during dinner. When they were done, Elliot put the dishes in the washer and cleaned the trash up. "Thanks," said Olivia, giving him a tiny smile. He smiled at her, and helped her to the sofa. Sitting next to her, he took her hand. "I have some news for you Liv." She turned to look at him. He handed her a case file he had left on the table. She opened it, and started to scan the pages. "The boy that shot you, his name is Matthew Holms. His parents were separated for three years before his mother filed for divorce. His father, Jacob, wasn't happy about the divorce papers." "The mother was Lauren," added Olivia. "I remember now. Matthew was living with is father. Lauren wanted sole custody. Two weeks after she filed the papers, she was found dead, brutally raped and murdered." Elliot nodded. "Liv, I went back through that case with a fine tooth comb. I had all the evidence double-checked. Without a doubt, Jacob was guilty of Lauren's rape and murder." She met his eyes, and he saw the shine of tears. He also saw the relief. "Thank you," she said, the emotion in her voice conveying what her words could not. "You're welcome," he replied, taking the file from her hands and laying it back on the table. He opened his arms. "Now, c'mere."

Olivia didn't hesitate. She curled up next to Elliot, closing her eyes as his arms wrapped around her. She buried her face against his chest, breathing in the scent of him. She cried softly. He felt her tremble and hugged her tighter.

It had only been in the past few months, since Elliot's divorce from Kathy that Olivia had begun to allow Elliot to hug her, and hold her like now. She had been amazed at the amount of comfort that she found in his arms. She had been alone almost all of her life, and the physical comfort of another person had a tremendous effect on her mental well-being. When the difficult cases threatened to overwhelm her, it only took a gentle touch from Elliot to give her the reassurance she needed.

A cell phone ring broke the silence. Elliot felt Olivia tense up in his arms, and he sighed. Without letting her go, he grabbed the phone off the table. "Stabler," he said. He listened for a moment. "Ok, yea, I'll be there." He clicked the phone shut. "You have to go…" said Olivia, quietly. "Yea," he replied, squeezing her close. "They found a body, a woman was raped downtown." Olivia disentangled herself from his arms. "Thanks for everything El." He gently brushed hair from her face. "Call me if you need anything Liv. And get some rest." She nodded, and he left.

Two days later, the man that raped and killed that woman was shot and killed when he pointed a gun at Elliot and Fin. They were filling out the paperwork in the squad room. A phone rang. "Stabler." Elliot listened. "No, I'll tell her. Thanks Captain." Fin caught the tone of his voice. "What's up?" he asked, sitting in Olivia's chair. "That was Cragen. The boy that shot Olivia just killed himself." "Oh man," said Fin, getting up and going back to his desk.

Elliot was chewing on a pen and staring at Olivia's empty chair, his feet up on his desk. He was trying to figure out the best way to tell Olivia about Matthew when she slid into her chair across from him. He dropped the pen. "Liv, what are you doing here?" "I was bored El." The look in her eyes told him it was more than boredom. "How ya feeling Liv?" Fin asked. "Sore, tired… not that much out of the ordinary," she replied, giving him a smile. Fin chuckled.

"Hey Olivia, heard the news did you?" "John..." warned Fin, knowing his partner's habit of saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time. John glanced around the room. "What?" "Just sit down and shut up," said Fin. John did so, giving his partner a look across their desk.

Olivia narrowed her eyes and looked at Elliot. "What news?" she asked. Elliot put his feet on the floor and leaned forward. He opened his mouth, and closed it again, clearly not wanting to tell her. "El, tell me," she said, her tone impatient. "Liv, Matthew Holms killed himself this morning." Olivia's face fell. She was still for a moment before getting up and practically running from the room. "Liv!" Elliot jumped up and ran after her. He saw her go through the door leading to the roof. He slowed to a walk and followed her out.

Her back was to him. "Liv," he said, walking up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head on top of hers. She stayed still for a few seconds before turning in his arms, and burying her face in his chest. Elliot held her close. "It wasn't your fault Liv." She turned her head enough that he could hear her speak. "I took his father from him." "His father was a rapist and a murderer. And you didn't kill him." She was silent for several long minutes. Elliot was starting to worry when she pulled away from him. "You're right, El. It's not my fault." Elliot gave her an encouraging smile. She sighed. "Guess I'm just being overly sensitive on this one." "There's nothing wrong with being sensitive. It helps make you the great detective you are." Olivia actually blushed, and Elliot grinned. A cold wind slapped them, and they both shivered. "Come on, let's get back inside before we freeze to death."

Fin and John looked up when they walked back into the squad room. "Olivia, Cap wants to see you," said John. Olivia sighed, and headed to her Captain's office. She knocked on the open door frame as she stepped in. "Cap, you wanted to see me?" Cragen stood and moved around from behind his desk to stand in front of her. "Olivia, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at home, on bed rest." "I know, I'm sorry Cap, but I was… bored." She gave him a sheepish look, and he had to smile. "How are you feeling?" "Sore, and tired. The drugs take the edge off the pain, so it's not too bad." She sat down, and Cragen didn't miss the discomfort she tried to hide. "Drugs wearing off?" She nodded. "Yeah, it's starting to hurt again." "I'm going to have Elliot take you home, it seems you've had enough for today. However, if you want to come in for a couple hours a day the rest of this week, I'll let you do deskwork. If you can tolerate it this week and next." Olivia smiled. "Thanks Captain." He helped her out of the chair, and escorted her to her desk. "Detective Stabler." Elliot looked up from his report. "Yes sir?" "Take Olivia home for me please." Cragen waited as they got their coats on. Olivia started out first, and Cragen snagged Elliot's arm to keep him back a moment. "Elliot, take the rest of the day off. I'll call you if I need you, but I think Olivia needs some company." Elliot nodded. "Thank you sir." Cragen watched as his two best detectives headed out.

"What did Cragen want?" Olivia asked as they walked out of the building. "The tin man has a heart," answered Elliot. At Olivia's questioning glance, he elaborated. "He told me to take the rest of the day off and keep you company." "Oh," said Olivia, a doubtful expression on her face. "You sure that was really Cragen?" she asked, and Elliot laughed.

Elliot drove them back to Olivia's apartment just a few blocks away. He parked, and noticed Olivia's obvious pain as she got out of the car. She leaned against the door to catch her breath. He walked over to her side. "You ok?" he asked. "Pain medicines have all worn off," she replied, panting. Elliot gently wrapped his arm around her waist, and she leaned on him. By the time they made it to her apartment, Olivia was trembling from the pain. Elliot got her inside and to the sofa. He found her medication and brought it along with a glass of water to Olivia. She took her pills and gave him a grateful smile. He sat down next to her and she leaned against him again, resting her head on his shoulder.

A short time later, the pills had kicked in and Elliot felt Olivia's body relax. When she started to doze off, he gently shook her awake. "Hey, you sleep here and you'll be in pain tomorrow." She mumbled a protest against his shoulder. He smiled at how adorable she was, and shook her again. "Liv, c'mon, let's get you into bed." Olivia shook herself awake, and stumbled towards the bedroom. Elliot left her alone long enough to change into a tank top and shorts to sleep in. She called out softly to him when she was done. She was brushing her hair when he walked in. She walked over to stand in front of him. "El, thank you for being there for me though this." Elliot gave her one of his smiles. He took her hands in his. "Liv, no matter what, no matter where we are or what is going on, I will always be here for you." She blinked, and a tear escaped down her cheek. Elliot pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. After a few moments, he pulled away and led her over to the bed. Pulling the covers back, he motioned for her to climb in. She did, and he tucked the covers around her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Get some rest, ok? You have to do my paperwork tomorrow," he teased. She laughed and playfully slapped his arm. He grinned, and got up to leave. She caught his hand before he could leave however. "El?" He looked down at her, meeting her brown eyes. For a brief second, he caught a glimpse of the sorrow she kept hidden from him. "Stay with me?" she asked. He didn't have a chance, there was no way he could refuse her after catching that look in her eyes. He nodded, and stripped down to his undershirt and boxers. She slid over on the bed, and he carefully slid in beside her. He hit the light switch, and turned onto his side, facing her.

The moonlight coming thought the window illuminated her with a beautiful glow. He reached over and lightly ran his fingertips down her bare arm. "You weren't bored earlier, were you?" She shook her head slowly. "I was lonely," she answered. Elliot's heart broke at her confession. He ran his fingers over her cheek and though her hair. "Liv, I'm never more than a phone call away. You don't have to be alone, ever." She moved to him then, burying her face against his chest. He felt her tremble, and held her tight as she cried softly. It wasn't long before she was asleep. Elliot said a silent prayer to God, thanking him for putting this wonderful woman into his life, and for not taking her away.


End file.
